From Disaster to Delightful
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: ZUTARA WEEK:DAY 4-DATE: Katara and Aang go on a double date with Zuko and Mai, but things go less than great. So when Zuko and Katara bump into each other later that night, they realize just how right they are for each other and have their own little date


**ZUTARA WEEK: DAY 4 – DATE****: I wanted to do something different than what I guessed everyone else would do – Zuko and Katara on a date – so this was created. So here's **_**From Disaster to Delightful. **_**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

"Katara, are you almost done?" Aang asked, knocking on her door. He and Katara were currently at the Fire Nation Palace for a few peace meetings. Even a year after the war had ended, there was still so much to be done.

But today, Aang and Katara were going on a double date with Zuko and Mai.

"Almost," Katara said, finishing her makeup. She was wearing a cap sleeve, sparkly ice blue kimono decorated with silvery flowers and a royal blue sash around her waist that tied in a bow in the back. The kimono was long in the back and short in the front, hitting just above her knee. Originally, the kimono had been so long that it reached the floor, but it was so hot in the Fire Nation that Katara knew she would pass out from the heat if she wore something so long. So, borrowing scissors and a sewing machine from one of the palace servants, Katara shortened the dress and cut the sleeves shorter.

Her hair was done up in a high ponytail and she chose a pair of royal blue flats to wear. Katara battled with herself on what shoes to wear. She really wanted to wear a pair of new pumps she had gotten, but the heel was really high and she would tower over Aang in them. Even three years later, Aang was still shorter than her. Even in her flats, she would be taller than him.

Katara finished her makeup, dark blue eye shadow and red lipstick, before going out the door. Aang was waiting for her, dressed in his traditional air nomad robes.

"Wasn't that kimono longer?" Aang asked, tilting his head slightly in confusion. Katara shrugged.

"Yeah," she said, "But it's too hot here. So I made some adjustments."

"Well, you look beautiful," Aang complimented, "Like always." Katara forced a smile on her face before Aang took her hand and led her outside, where Zuko and Mai were waiting for them in the carriage. Zuko was in a more formal version of his Fire Lord robes while Mai wearing a simple, long, black dress.

Katara stared out the window, avoiding Aang's eyes. They may have been together for a year, but Katara wondered if there would be a fourth. There was no doubt that she loved Aang, but more like a brother than a boyfriend.

"I hope you like this restaurant," Zuko said as the carriage started moving, "It's supposed to be one of the finest in the Fire Nation. Mai has been there before, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Mai said in her usual, monotone voice.

"Did you like it?" Zuko asked. Mai shrugged.

"It was okay," she said. The rest of the ride was spent in awkward silence.

When they finally reached the resturant for dinner, they were seated on a deck out back, overlooking the water. Katara looked down at the menu in confusion. Everything here was a Fire Nation dish and nothing looked familar.

"Try the Roasted Spiced Grape Dumplings," Zuko whispered to Katara, who sat across from her, "They actually taste a bit like stewed sea prunes." Katara smiled gratefully at him and whispered, "Thanks." After that, Zuko and Aang started to talk about the peace meetings. But meetings could only hold Aang's attention for so long and they started talking about their past adventures. Katara decided to try to talk to Mai.

"So," Katara said slowly, "How have you been Mai?"

"Fine," Mai answered.

"How is your family?"

"Fine,"

"Zuko told me he took you out on a surprise date to Ember Island, how was that?"

"Fine,"

"What have you done lately?"

"Nothing,"

"Well how-"

"You talk a lot," Mai said. Katara just rolled her eyes and shut her mouth.

"Mai, what would you like you eat?" Zuko asked, smiling at her. Mai shrugged.

"Whatever," she said, "I don't care." Katara resisted the urge to smack her head into the table. How could someone as plain as Mai be with someone as passionate as Zuko?

After they ordered, Zuko turned to Katara and said, "You altered that kimono, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah," Katara said, glad to have something to talk about, "It's so hot here, how do you stand wearing those robes?"

"I can't, I feel like a roasted pig chicken," Zuko sighed. Katara giggled.

"Oh, Katara, remember, that time you made roast pig chicken?" Aang said. Katara nearly choked on her food. She knew this embarrassing story all too well.

"Aang-" Katara moaned, but Aang didn't seem to notice her discomfort.

"Back when we traveled around, Katara was making chicken pig," Aang started. Katara buried her head in her hands.

_This __**cannot **__be happening, _she thought. This story had happened before Zuko joined the group, so he never heard it.

"Katara's hand got a bit too close to the fire…" Aang started to dissolve into laughter while Katara's face progressively turned red.

"When she burnt herself, she screamed so loud, even Appa freaked out," Aang dissolved into laughter, causing people at nearby tables to stare.

"She ran to get some water to sooth it, tripped, and fell right in a mud puddle!" by now, Aang was doubled over in laughter while. Zuko looked at Katara sympathetically while Mai just raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't get how that's funny."

The waiters came back to take their finished plates and replace it with desert. Katara internally groaned when she noticed Aang got something with whipped cream. And for some reason, Aang _loved _playing with wiped cream. It was pretty funny when they were in private, but not in public.

With a flick of his hand, he airbent the wiped cream onto his face in the shape of a beard.

"Look, I'm Iroh!" Aang said with his usual, cheesy grin.

_Spirits, just kill me now and end my misery, _Katara thought.

"Aang, don't play with your food," she groaned.

The end of dinner couldn't come fast enough. When they returned to the palace, Katara went to her room to change into a simple, strapless, short blue kimono and take her hair out of its ponytail before going out to the palace gardens. She loved watching the turtle ducks in the pnd.

But when she got there, she noticed someone was already there. Zuko, sitting at the edge of the turtle duck pond with a piece of bread in his hand. All he was wearing was a pair of pants. His shoes were sitting against a nearby tree and he was totally shirtless. Katara recalled the times back at the Western Air Temple when she would watch Zuko and Aang firebend. Well, actually, she was watching Zuko, how his muscles moved with each attack, the way his sweat traveled down his toned chest and over his six pack.

"Hi," Katara said softly, "Can I sit here?"

"Sure," Zuko said, grinning up at her. Katara sat next to him, watching him feed the turtle ducks,

"So," Katara said slowly, "Tonight was…"

"A disaster?" Zuko finished for her.

"Yeah," Katara agreed, "Sorry about Aang, he can be a bit of a child sometimes. I swear, sometimes I feel like I'm his mother instead of his girlfriend. I would like to date a guy who's a bit more mature and doesn't make beards out of wiped cream like he's three." Katara let out a heavy sigh and rested her head on Zuko's bare shoulder.

"I'm going to break up with him," she said softly, "Tomorrow. I can't take this anymore. I need a man, not a boy!" Katara took a piece of bread from Zuko and tossed it at a turtle duck. Zuko chuckled at her outburst.

"Great minds think alike, I just broke up with Mai after we got back," Zuko said. Katara looked up at him.

"Why?" she asked, although she sort of knew why.

"She's so…blah," Zuko said, tossing another piece of bread at the turtle ducks, "She never has any emotion about anything."

"Really, I never noticed," Katara said sarcastically. Zuko nudged her playfully.

"I want a girl who's passionate," Zuko said, "Someone fiery and loud an opinionated." He turned to look at Katara, who was staring up at him.

"Someone like you," he said softly. Katara felt her cheeks heat up as she blushed.

"Oh," she said softly, but she felt a smile tug at the edge of her lips. She wrapped her arm around Zuko's snuggling into his shoulder and he rested his head on top of hers.

"This is nice," Katara said quietly.

"Kind of like a date," Zuko said. Katara grinned.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"So what would you say to a real date?" Zuko asked, with me. Katara looked up at him and grinned.

"I would say I love to," Katara said.

"You know," Zuko said, "Technically, I should ask your father's permission before courting you." Katara laughed, shaking her head.

"When have you ever known me to be traditional?" she asked Zuko.

"Never," Zuko answered, "That's what I love about you. You're your own person. You never let anyone else put you down or tell you what to do."

"Damn straight," Katara said, nodding, "So when is our date?"

"What about right now?" Zuko asked, "We have the stars, the moon, the pond. And I bought down some snacks for myself." Zuko nodded to some fruit sitting on a small blanket.

"It's almost perfect," Katara said.

"Almost?" Zuko asked. Katara grinned.

"One thing is missing," she said. Zuko looked around, clearly confused.

"What?" he asked. Katara giggled at his confusion. She cupped his scared cheek in her hand and tilted her head up to touch her lips to his in a soft kiss. Zuko's lips were warm and soft against hers, but his kiss held a passion that Katara's kisses with Aang always seemed to lack. And Katara's kiss held a certain fire that Mai's kisses never had.

When they finally parted, both teens were grinning.

"Now the date is perfect," Katara said. Zuko kissed her one more time and whispered, "The perfect date."

**There's **_**From Disaster to Delightful. **_**I hope you liked it! Please Review!**


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